Wednesday, June 13, 2007

India urges world nations not to lift ban on trade in tiger parts

New Delhi, June 12: India, facing an increasing loss of tiger population, has made moves for continuing international ban on trade in tiger parts at the Convention on International Trade in Engendered Spices (CITES) coming towards a close at the Hague.

China has been lobbying to lift the ban for a long time.

India has this time enlisted the support of Nepal, another country with wild tiger population, to its call for continuing with the ban, an official of the Ministry said.

Nepal too faces threat of poaching in case tiger trade is allowed.

India has more than half of the total tigers in the world.

Lifting of ban on tiger parts in China would give fillip to the poaching of the wild cat throughout the world, say wildlife experts.

The Indian delegation to the convention headed by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narayan Meena left for Hague, Netherlands to attend the convention.

Crocodile, vultures and other endangered species will also be discussed in the Convention.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.